Structural element and structure composed thereof



Feb. 4, 1930.

A. H. YTASHJIAN 1,745,729

STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AND STRUCTURE COMPOSED THEREOF Filed July 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 4, 1930. -A. H. TASHJIAN 1,745,729

STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AND STRUCTURE COMPOSED THEREOF Filed July 5, 1925 2 She etS-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 4, 1930 PATENT FF CE I ARMEN H. TASHJIAN,

or oornvnrniin p 01110 STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AND STRUCTURE (JOIISIIPOSED THEREOF Application filed m a,

V This invention relates to a structural ele- V merit, suchas a joist, of a particular con- "semen-on as hereinafter pointed out, and to a structurasuch as the supporting framework 5 for Ca floor or rjoof,composed"of these'structuralelementsl ,Qne objectof the invention is to produce ajoist or the like structural element of rela- M tively'l'ightftruss formation, and composed of a plurality of similarelements unitedwithout the. aid of riveting or wel'din'gjand relatively rigid; i

Another obj ect'fof the invention is to: provide ajoist or the like structural element, as

"" above, described, having bearing portioiisj at its ends, these bearing portions forming an integral part of'jthe eleinents 'comprising the v joist whereby loads placed upon the joist are communicated directly from the member 3? thereof to which they; are applied to all of the other members of the 'j oist without liability of fracture or"'slippage.'

' 4 'A still further object of.thef inveritiori is ito astructure, such. as the supportrw t mg; framework for a floor orroof, composed ofstructuralelementsor joists of the type described, wherein means are" provided for ropeny relatively positioningsuchelements orjois'ts and for tying them together' intoa f: unitary rigid structure.

j invention COIlSlStS, essentially in a :lQiSt; or the :like struct'ural element, .having a top chord member and a bottom chord mem- Eben,- andweb members @interposed between .Isaid chordsin truss formation and rigidly bounded thereto, the ends of the bottomchord member being bent upwardly'into proximity :to;,the ends ofthetop chordmember and the 'zbent up ends of the bottom chord member ua ry 2, 1912. Thus, during the clinching of to Figs. 2 and 4, the feet 8 ofthe diagonal 1925. Serial No. 41,413.

determined relationship, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim;

'In'the accompanying drawings illustrating'the' invention," in the severalfigures of whichlike *parts'are similarly designated,

Figure lis top plan view of a portionof a structure'c'omposed of elements or joists embodying my-invention; Fig. 2 is'a sectional side elevation thereof. Fig. 3' is afragmentary perspective view, upon a larger scale,

of a'spacing angle'member. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevatiomupon a larger scale, of one end of a joist constructed in accordance with my invention. f'Fig. '5 is a sectiontaken on the line 5+5 of"Fig.j4t showing the means for spacing and bridging a plurality of joists.

Fig.6 isa si'de'elevationof a modified form of member for uniting the chord members at theirbearingportionsx Fig. 7 is a section taken on the I line "IV- 7, Fig; 6.

jfBeferrin'gparticularly to Figs. 2,4' and 5, my structural elements or joists comprise a top chord, member 1, a bottom chord memb'erQ, vertical web members 3, anddiagonal web members 4. The chord members 1 and 2 are formed of rolled steelbars having their inner faces provided withch'annels 5 flanked by lips or flanges 6' (Fig; 5). The web members 3 aud t are provided with feet 7 and 8 respec'tively which, when 1n assembled position engage with the channels 5 of the chord membersl and'2, andthe lateral faces of the web members 3 and la're provided with knobsorhumps 9 which, when the lips 6 of the ch'ord members areclinched upon the feet 7and'8, will'imbed'themse'lves in the lips and form a rigid nonslipping' connection between the web members and the chord It will be' noted that the inner faces of the lips 6 are preferably plain, as distinguished from the recessed flanges of the chord members of my Patent No. 1,013,698, dated Janthe lips 6 upon the feet 7 and 8, the knobs or humps 9 will form their own recesses in the lips 6, the metal of the lips flowing in between the humps or knobs.

As will be seen, particularly by reference web members abut against the vertical web members 3 and the clinching of the lips 6 of the chord members upon them is thus aided in maintaining the proper predetermined relationship between the chord members and the web members.

Thebottom chordmember 2 is bent upwardly adjacent to its ends,as at 10, andis then given a reverse bend, as at 11, to form a bearing portion 12 at each end of the structural element, these bearing portions 12 lying in parallelism with the ends of the top chord member 1 and rigidly connected therewith and appropriately spaced therefrom by means of U-shaped spacing and connecting members 13 formed of material similar to that of which the web'members'are formed and provided with similar knobs upon which the lips-6 of the chord members" are clinched to provide a rigid non-shifting connection between the endsofthe chord members. If desired, bearing plates 14 may be welded or otherwise affixed to the bearingportions12 of the bottom chord members 2 to forma broader seat for the bearing portionsthan is provided by the width of the chord members themselves, but the. addition of these plates 14 is not essential. v

By forming the bearings forthe elements by the bending up of the bottom chord member, provide an exceedingly strong construction, for the reason that allloads distributed from thetop chord member 1 through the web-members 3 and 4 to the bottom chord member2-are therethro'u'gh directly transferred to the bearings upon which the ends of. the elements or ported. '7'

It will be noted also, that by my construction, Idispense entirelywith riveting and welding operations in the formation of my elements, and thereby obviate the necessity for the punching or drillingof holes for the reception of rivets or the heating of the metal of the elements incident to the ordinary weldingoperat-ion, thus avoiding-any operations upon'the elements or -j oistswhich would tend to weaken them, I w Y 7 In place of the'U-shapedmenibers 13 which are used to space and connect the ends of the chord members, I may-usemembers .of the type illustrated in F igs- 6 and 7 and which comprise solid blocks provided upon their edges with knobs or humps 16, s milarin joists are supform and arrangement to theknobs' or humps 9 of theweb members 3 and 4 and cooperating with the lips of the chord members in like manner.- v

In forming; a structure of my elements, Such as a supporting structure for a floor or roof,-I merely arrange'a pluralityof my elements 'or joists in'proper' predetermined spaced relation with their bearing portions 12 or'bearing plates 14 resting upon suitable supports provided for them and for cooperation withwhich they are fabricated, such as i the I -bea i'ns 17, and then position upon the top andbottom chords of the elements, space ing bars'lbr angles 18, shown in detail in Fig.

3, provided with notches 19' which engage with the sides of the chord members to maintain the elements in proper spaced relation.

bridging merelyconsists of pairs of wires looped aroundthe elementsandhaving their ends broughttogether and twisted into a permanent connection 21 intermediate the several joists, as shown in Fig. l;

bridging may be arranged ats i'ich-cintervals throughout the span ofthe elements as may be deemed advisable and asmay be requiredby the loadswhich the. structure is designed to'carry.v v

Various changes. are inthe spirit of the-invention and the scope of the following claims. Q 1

c What I claim is;-

- 1..In a structural element, two-cooperating members-V arranged to be connected one to The spacing bars or angles 18and the wire contemplated as with V the other, one of said members provided with ofi'standing knobs and the othermember providedwith deformable flanges, the member having knobs arranged to be positioned with its knobs in cooperative relation to said flanges, and. said flanges adapted to be clinched upon said membelythe clinching op, eration acting to embed saidknobs in said.

knobs in said flanges and to cause theImaterial of said flanges to flow. into the spaces between said knobs to form a rigid connectionbetween said members. 3. Ina structural element,'two cooperating members arranged to be connected one to the other, one of said members provided with oflsta-nding knobs and the other member being channelled and provided with deformable flanges, themember having'knobs arranged to be positioned in the channel of the channelled member withits knobs in cooperative relation-to said flanges, and said flanges adapted to be clinchedjupon said member,

the clinching operation acting to embed said knobs 1n said flanges to form a rigid connection between said members.

4. In a structural element, two cooperat- 1ng members arranged to be connected one 7 to the other, one of said members provided with laterally ofi'standing knobs and the other member beingchannelled and provided with deformable flanges, the member having knobs arranged to be positioned in the chan-,

T nel of the channelled member with its knobs in cooperative relation to said flanges, and

said flanges'adapted to be clinched upon said member, the clinching operation acting to embed said knobs in said flanges to form a J rigid connection between said members.

5. In a structural element, two cooperatmg members arranged to be connected one to the other, one of'said members provided with ofistanding knobs and the other member provided with plain surfaced deformable flanges, the member having knobs arranged to be positioned with its knobs in cooperative relation to said flanges, and said flanges adapted to be clinched upon said member, the clinching operation acting to embed said knobs in said flanges whereby said knobs form their own sockets in thefflanges to provide a rigid connection between said members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of July, A. D. 1925.

ARMEN H. TASHJ IAN. 

